Page 59 of How to Ruin a Rake

“And what do you intend to do about it?”

Max frowned. “I’ve already apologized to her, sir. She accepted my explanation, and we parted on good terms.”

“Good terms … when you have ruined her.”

Max flinched.

“You are probably unaware that her father is a very good friend of mine,” the duke said. “You will have to marry the girl.”

CHAPTER 11

Max stared at his father for a full minute before he found his voice.

“I … beg your pardon, sir?”

“I can’t have you ruining the daughter of a good friend of mine. Is that not plain enough for you?” The duke sighed. “It is not the match I had planned, but it will do. You will go to your lodgings, pack your bags, and report back to me here at lunchtime.”

“For what purpose?” Max asked, feeling like a fool.

“We’re going to Musgrove Hall, where you will ask that poor woman to marry you.” His father held his gaze. “It is the only honorable thing to do.”

“But what if the lady doesn’t wish to marry me?”

The duke rose to his feet. “Hopefully, she isn’t as big a fool as you are and will grasp this opportunity to restore her reputation with both hands. I’ll expect you back here in two hours.”

His father swept out, leaving Max feeling like he was living in a nightmare of his own making. There was no time to warn Allegra about what was coming. He had to go with his father and do his best to ameliorate the effects of the duke’s ill-judged plan.

When he arrived back at the Albany, Claude met him at the door, his finger to his lips.

“You have a visitor, my lord.”

“Fine. You need to pack me enough clothes for a stay in the country,” Max said.

“For how long?”

“I don’t know—three days? How long could it take?” Max asked himself more than Claude, who looked horrified. “And I’m leaving in less than two hours, so you’d better get cracking.”

Max went into his parlor and found Sebastian Roberts awaiting him somewhat nervously.

“Devereux, I heard you were looking for me.”

“Yes, I was. I hear you’ve been spreading unsavory rumors about a lady,” Max said. “I must admit, I knew you were a terrible gossip, but I didn’t think you were the kind of man to deliberately ruin a lady’s reputation.”

Roberts went rather red. “It wasn’t intentional. The only person I told was Landon. I thought that, as he is your best friend, he would enjoy the joke. I didn’t expect him to shout out the news to all of society.”

“He is obviously no friend of mine,” Max said. “In truth, one might say that he is the whole reason I ended up in Suffolk.”

“I just wanted you to know my side of the story, Devereux,” Roberts said, somewhat uncomfortably.

“And you have done so,” Max agreed. “And perhaps, in future, you might learn to control your gossiping ways.”

He opened the door and watched as a very subdued Roberts walked past him. To be fair, the man looked genuinely remorseful, but Max still wanted to wring his neck. He went through to his bedchamber, where Claude was muttering and throwing clothes onto the bed.

“It doesn’t have to be too formal,” Max commented, as he changed into attire more suitable for a trip to the countryside. “The Musgroves aren’t high sticklers.”

“The Musgroves?” Claude clutched one of Max’s waistcoats to his chest.

“Apparently, my father is a great friend of the current earl,” Max said. “And we have been invited to stay.”